With no technical or physical problems yesterday morning I managed to publish the previous edition long before the target time of 06.30 hours. Thanks in no small part to the fact that I was out on the veranda – armed with a mug of black coffee and my iPad (Rose managed to bring it back to life) by 03.45 hours.

After reading The Times on-line (even though I had watched Arsenal beat Swansea on TV it was good to read about it too!) and searching the Internet for the few remaining items that we want to purchase in Miami and ship to Belize under the Qualified Retirement Programme I showered, shaved, dressed and then had breakfast.

I then set about trying to find out when the stuff we have had shipped from the UK would be delivered to our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize. Regular readers will be aware that our consignment ‘landed’ in Belize on 11th September (although we didn’t find this out until the 25th!). Ever since then I have been trying to find out when an inspection (which I want to be present at) by Customs will be carried out and approval given so that our stuff can be barged to Ambergris Caye.

Yesterday I sent an email to Jose Gomez of Belize Logistics Services Limited and not receiving a reply within a couple of hours ‘phoned him. And got Voicemail. I was persistent though and on my third attempt he answered. Once again he promised to make some enquiries and get back to me . He didn’t. So he is on my ‘hit’ list for today! In the end I figure he will get fed up with me and want me off his back. We shall see. And you will know.

Around 13.30 hours we got a call from Leo (the guy we had visited last week to find out how much he would charge to make a mahogany Queen size bed for us). He had the price, BZ$ 1,500. A bit more than we had expected. So, there will need to be some hard bargaining.

Needing a pick-me-up Rose and I decided to head off to our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize shortly after 14.30 hours taking a detour on the way to see the ‘mirror man’. . No luck there either. He had gone to Corozal for the day.

We got to our house needing (and expecting) a boost but we didn’t get one. Only two guys -Moses and José- working on our house. It looks as if Victor (the welder) and Edgar (granite man) had ‘enjoyed’ their Sunday off too much.

We did see evidence of Mose’s work because he had been hanging some doors and cutting holes for door locks/handles .

Door for Pump Room hung.

Hole cut for the lock for the en-suite for the bedroom (Rose’s handicraft room) on the First Floor.

Hole cut for the lock for the First Floor’s bedroom door.

Hole cut for the lock for the Powder Room door.

Feeling lightly more than p&@@ed off I ‘phoned Daniel Camal, our building contractor, and it got worse when he told me that Benny’s has failed to deliver the full compliment of down lights that we ordered (they have delivered some of the correct size and some that are larger) and that the toilets for Rose’s and my bathroom have yet to arrive.

We arranged to meet Daniel at 10.00 hours this morning to hopefully find solutions and to inject some pace and urgency for the final stage of our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize.

I’m normally a very upbeat and optimistic type but I must admit that after yesterday I’m down. But , as they say, “today is another day”. And I expect to report on a significant improvement in tomorrow’s edition.

The headline for today’s edition is based on the single (the B side to Help) released by The Beatles in 1965 which reached number one in both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

11 thoughts on ““I’m Down” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.”

Hi John &Rose, I’m afraid that it would not be favorable for me to build and move belongings to AC !!! There would be too many ass-kickin contests on my part and I must say that I haven’t lost many in my life. Laissez-faire doesn’t do it for me…..and that isn’t just because I’m an ole-codger now. I guess I am too logical and business controlled. Ah well……..
Alan S.

Having gone thru the building process twice I liken it to being pregnant/giving birth lol Oh how fun it is to get pregnant, then the morning sickness (making all the choices, fixtures, layout etc..) then the slow process of watching it all fall into place, then as the labor starts and the swearing to God I will never do this again! (last minute hold ups, possible changes in order to be finished in time).When suddenly poof you have this amazing, beautiful bundle of joy!!! Then weeks later (possibly months ) you are suddenly saying “Well that wasn’t so bad” lol
I must say though that your move, coupled with the build would be more like having triplets 😉 poor rose. Moral of the story, hang in there it will all be a distant memory soon and the pangs do surely fade.